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IDA looks into consumers’ mobile broadband experience

The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) has launched the pilot for a mobile app that aims to engage consumers to obtain better insights into consumers’ mobile broadband usage experience. In the long run IDA hopes this will help improve their experience.

The MyConnection SG app utilises crowdsourcing to gather usage experience from users mobile phones, such as broadband speed, latency and coverage on mobile networks and on Wi-Fi networks. Users can also use the app to check upload and download speeds. They can then give feedback to IDA on their mobile broadband experience in a particular location.

The app is designed to run in the background and will collect and send anonymised information about networks back to IDA. This information will be used to assess Singapore’s mobile networks, such as identifying areas of mobile congestion and gaps in coverage.

Jacqueline Poh, managing director, IDA, said: “Crowdsourcing provides us with anonymised and aggregated data to better understand the quality of consumers’ mobile broadband experience all around the island.”

Currently, the pilot is slated to run for six months and participation from consumers is voluntary. If the mobile broadband pilot is successful, IDA will implement MyConnection SG as a longer-term measure together with the National Internet Measurement Infrastructure (NIMI).

NIMI is a crowdsourcing measure IDA has undertaken since 2009 to gather consumers’ residential fixed broadband experience. It measures the broadband speeds experienced by selected consumers at home. Data from measurement devices installed in the households of volunteers is meant to help consumers in deciding residential fixed broadband plan.